Pottstown, West Pottsgrove push extension of Keystone Blvd.

POTTSTOWN — Just two days after borough council approved a property tax break for a new business proposed along Keystone Boulevard, officials from the borough and West Pottsgrove Township met to brainstorm about extending the road to the Grosstown Road exit off Route 422.

The extension of Keystone Boulevard through the former Flagg Brass property in West Pottsgrove and over to the Stowe interchange has long been envisioned and was the subject of an $81,000 study by the Rettew Associates engineering firm.

Paid for through a grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the study brought both municipalities together to plan jointly for the project, which could cost as much as $10 million.

Although PennDOT does have plans for a $30 million improvement to the Stowe interchange as part of its long-range plans for upgrading Route 422, Brian Regli, Montgomery County’s director of commerce, told the assembled officials not to expect the state to come up with the money for that project anytime soon.

Although there will be more money for infrastructure under Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget, Regli said, the fact that PennDOT is currently reconstructing the Armand Hammer Boulevard interchange in Lower Pottsgrove in all likelihood puts the Stowe project years away.

Which is why, said Scott Exley, a Montgomery County Planning Commission veteran and engineer for West Pottsgrove, he favors “whatever we can do that is fastest and easiest.”

One thing which may make it easier, in addition to an engineering study already having being done, is the fact that both Pottstown and West Pottsgrove are part of the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee, said John Cover, section chief for the community planning section of the county planning commission.

“There’s already been a lot of work done,” Cover said, noting that in addition to the engineering study, the regional planning commission has completed a marketing study to find out what commercial or industrial needs remain un-met and which can be used as a guide to marketing the parcels which, together, comprise about 130 acres.

“And you have a tremendous advantage, being part of a regional planning commission, because you can approach this as one entity and as part of a master plan, and you can tell a developer that zoning can be set aside and that you will work with the developer to come up with a plan, which can save him a tremendous amount of time and expense,” Cover said.

“Ideally, you get the developer to come in and help to pay for the road,” he added.

Regli outlined several different financing methods that could be used to get the road up and running, including grants, a transportation improvement district or even bank loans, given low interest rates.

In addition to discussing how the road could be built and the land developed, the group also discussed what should be built there.

West Pottsgrove Commissioner Gordon Whitlock said he would prefer light industrial or commercial over residential or warehousing.

“We need something that helps the tax base but also provides jobs,” said Whitlock. “We have a lot of people who need jobs.”

Pottstown Borough Council President Steve Toroney pointed out he would like to see more occupancy in the borough’s High Street commercial district before building more.

Steve Bamford, Pottstown’s chief economic development officer, said “flex-office” space, which is how part of the area in question is zoned, is “built out” throughout the region and there is currently no market for it.

Borough council’s approval of the Keystone Opportunity Zone property tax reduction for Heritage Coach Co. may not be a key factor in attracting further development since it only affects the one parcel, Regli said, “but it certainly doesn’t hurt to get one of those sites up and running.”

The deal will not become final unless the Pottstown School Board also approves the exemption. That vote is expected on March 25.

Regli said there is potential for developer interest because the economy is improving and those who sat on cash reserves may be more willing to invest, and interest rates are still low.

“There is opportunity here and a site like this really merits a world-class development,” Regli said.

He suggested officials from the two towns get together and make a list of the top 10 or 15 uses they would like to see along the road, something they promised to do within the next two weeks.

“You could have the right user in there in the next three to five years,” Regli said.